


Reunions

by fangirlingtodeath513



Series: Queer Eye 'Verse [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Queer Eye, Chef Castiel (Supernatural), Fluff, Life Coach Charlie Bradbruy, M/M, Minor Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Queer Character, Renovation Expert Jo Harvelle, Teacher Dean Winchester, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, queer eye, queer eye AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-04 21:02:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15849309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlingtodeath513/pseuds/fangirlingtodeath513
Summary: It's been a couple years since they met each other, but Dean and Castiel's relationship is stronger than ever, despite the time they spend apart while Cas is filming.It's not enough for Cas anymore. He's about to do something he's wanted to do for a while, and he couldn't be more thrilled about it.





	Reunions

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to Emma ([saltnhalo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltnhalo/pseuds/saltnhalo)) who was kind enough to beta this fic for me! She helped a ton and I'm so grateful. 
> 
> For timeline's sake, this takes place a year after 'Settling the Debate', the following December.

It’s fascinating to watch Charlie slip into her on-screen persona, even after working with her for a few years. She’s become quite a natural in front of the camera, and Cas is incredibly proud of her. He’s also thanking every god he can think of that they asked Charlie to do this and not him. 

 

Gabriel gives her a thumbs-up, then crosses his arms and focuses his attention on the monitor.

 

“We’ve had so many heroes in seasons 5, 6 and 7 that we loved getting to know and we’re so honored that we could help them.” Charlie turns to face the camera on her left, starting to walk toward it when the camera operator motions for her. “There’s one question we get asked  _ all. the. time:  _ how are the heroes we left behind? Well, these episodes will answer that question for you. It’s a special three-episode arc where we’ll be revisiting some of the heroes from the past couple of seasons. First up...” The camera pans to the home they’re currently set up in front of, one the audience will undoubtedly recognize. It’s one of the women from season 5, their first season working together. “Kendra Cortez.”

 

The crew scrambles into action when Gabriel cuts. They’ve already got crew inside getting a mic on Kendra and setting up cameras around her living room. Charlie walks over to Cas, punching his shoulder gently. “You excited for this? Should be fun.”

 

Castiel hums his agreement, smiling softly at her. Charlie’s an absolute pleasure to be around and undeniably one of his best friends, and her enthusiasm for the show always makes him smile. “It should be, yes. Kendra’s lovely, I’m excited to see her again.” 

 

“Yeah, she’s badass. She’s done well for herself,” she replies with a grin. Charlie and Kendra had gotten along almost immediately when they filmed her episode, and he knows Charlie’s been back to visit her a few times since then. 

 

Gabriel motions Charlie over, so she shoots an apologetic smile at Cas before trudging over to their director. Claire adjusts Charlie’s mic before shooing her back in front of the camera.

 

Given the okay, Charlie begins the rest of the introduction. “For those of you with a fuzzy memory, Kendra is from season five and was nominated by a friend shortly after her reassignment surgery. She’s done a lot since we last saw her, but why don’t we let her explain it herself?”

 

Gabriel cuts again, and this time the crew starts packing up the gear, loading it into their van before the group of them heads into Kendra’s house. Jo, Balth and Benny are already parked on Kendra’s couch, chatting with her.

 

As soon as Kendra spots them, both Castiel and Charlie are pulled into bone-crushing hugs. They spend a few minutes catching up before Gabriel wrestles them all onto her couch to continue shooting.

 

The day goes by easily. Kendra is a genuinely lovely human being, and she’s still Castiel’s favorite hero. Aside from one, of course. 

 

Speaking of, as soon as they return to the hotel they’re staying in, he excuses himself from the rest of the cast, ignoring their teasing about Dean. He’s an hour behind Dean at the moment, but it shouldn’t be too late to call him. 

 

Sure enough, he only manages two rings of the Facetime before Dean answers. 

 

“Hey. You just finish up filming?” Dean’s sleepy, Cas can tell. He’s bundled up in his bed and he’s got his glasses on instead of his contacts, which Cas secretly finds way more adorable anyway. 

 

“A little while ago, yes. We just got back to the hotel.” 

 

Dean stifles a yawn as Cas continues. “It’s nice, seeing some of them again.” He smiles wryly as Dean loses the battle against his yawn. “Am I keeping you awake?”

 

On the screen, Dean smirks, shaking his head. “Nah. I was gettin’ some work done. Besides, I’m fine with you keepin’ me up.”

 

Cas laughs, propping his phone up on one of the nightstands so he can strip his dress shirt off. He gets a whistle from Dean, prompting him to roll his eyes fondly as he pulls on one of Dean’s t-shirts to sleep in. “Enjoying the show, Winchester?”

 

Dean grins. It’s grainy, and he’d much prefer to see it in person, but he’ll take what he can get. “I always enjoy the show, Cas. It’s a good show.”

 

He strips his jeans off, then smiles at Dean as he grabs his phone and tucks himself into bed. “How was your day?”

 

Dean hums. It’s barely audible, but Cas has heard it enough in person to know what it sounds like. “Alright. Madison’s still acting out but she’s a bit better this week.”

 

They spend the next half hour talking before Dean finally caves and says he needs to sleep. Once again, Castiel says goodbye and tucks himself into his empty bed. It’s the only part he hates about this job, now that he’s got Dean. The travelling is great, but Dean can only travel with him in the summer. Throughout the school year, which is mostly when they film the show, Cas is on his own. He hates being away from Dean for so long, and he hates more than anything that the other side of his bed is currently empty. The only thing getting him through at this point is the fact that once Christmas hits, he’s home until they begin filming again in late March. He’ll get three blissful, uninterrupted months of Dean to himself, for the most part. It’s that thought that finally lulls him to sleep.

 

■ ■ ■

 

Next is Sean Myers of Reno, Nevada. He’s from season six, and was one of the first problematic people they had to deal with. He was incredibly homophobic, but no one close to him had been aware. He was… less than pleased when a group of five queer people showed up on his doorstep. 

They’d managed to make some headway with him, in the end. Charlie had a long chat with him where she actually got him to confront the things about queer people that bothered him, and as far as they know, he’s been significantly less homophobic as of late. 

Guess they’ll find out.

The drive there is long--long enough for both Cas and Jo to fall asleep in the car. 

“Oh my  _ god _ ,” Charlie says as they arrive, starling both Cas and Jo awake as she motions to Myers’s front porch. “No freaking way.”

Sure enough, there’s a rainbow flag hanging from his flagpole. That’s… not at all what Castiel had expected. Interesting. 

The five of them step out of the car, eyes glued to the flag as they head onto the porch. The door swings open just as they reach it. “Welcome back!” Sean says with a gummy grin, motioning them inside. 

Jo shoots a confused look in Cas’s direction, which he answers with a raised eyebrow and a shrug. They end up following him inside, waiting off to the side while Gabriel and the crew set up in his living room. 

“What’d ya think of the flag?” Sean asks, tilting his head up as Claire clips a mic onto his collar. 

“It’s awesome,” Charlie responds cheerily, but Cas can see the tense set of her shoulders. She’s expecting something to go wrong, and Castiel honestly doesn’t blame her--he sort of is too.

It doesn’t. Interestingly enough, shortly after his episode had aired, his own daughter had come out to him. He’d taken it well, they hear. They get to meet his daughter and her girlfriend, both of whom are lovely. 

It’s refreshing to see someone actually change their mind about queer people. 

Sean makes dinner for them--one of the recipes Castiel had shown him--before they head to the nearby hotel for the night. All in all, no bombs went off and Cas actually enjoyed himself, for the most part. He’s more than a little relieved about that.

Once again, the first thing he does when he gets to his room is call Dean. 

 

■ ■ ■

 

The third person they’re visiting is Elijah Franklin from season seven. He was a bachelor when they met him, and his apartment very clearly showed that. Jo’d had a field day with  _ that  _ renovation. Their chat with him is shorter than the last two, but they find out he’s got a girlfriend and they’ve bought a house together. He jokes that he wishes Jo could come decorate it for them and, based on the look on her face, it pleases her to no end. 

Cas catches up to her as they leave. “Elijah made you very happy.”

Jo beams, nodding and heading to the car with Castiel. “Yeah. I like getting recognized for my work. Everyone always doubts me so I feel like I always have to prove myself.” She shrugs with a small smile. “It’s nice to have someone appreciate what I do for them.” 

Castiel hums his agreement. He gets where she’s coming from. He hasn’t faced down nearly as much as she has, especially in her field, but he gets what it feels like to want to be recognized. 

By the time they get back to the hotel, it’s too late to call Dean, so he sends him a text before getting into bed.

_ Sleep well. I love you <3 _

 

■ ■ ■

 

Their next visit is to Elise Waters, a genderqueer individual they worked with in season six. They’re a great cook, and Castiel particularly enjoyed working with them. Charlie had also taken to them quickly, and--as far as Castiel knows--they’ve kept in touch. 

 

They hug each of the Fab Five when they get there, letting the crew set up in their living room. It’s one of the easier interviews so far. Elise is incredibly personable and that came across especially well in their episode, just like it does in this interview. They all genuinely enjoy being in Elise’s company, so they stay there much longer than they’d intended. 

 

This time, Castiel in the same time zone as Dean, so it’s not too late to Facetime when he gets back to the hotel. 

 

The call doesn’t last very long, unfortunately. It’s painfully clear that Dean’s exhausted, and Cas hates to keep his boyfriend up longer than necessary, especially when he has to work the next day. They manage a few minutes of conversation before Dean’s yawning interrupts practically every other word and Cas insists that he go to bed. 

 

Despite the short length of their conversation, it puts Castiel more at ease than he’d been all day.

 

Dean has that effect on him.

 

■ ■ ■

With the first episode entirely filmed, they’re given three days off before they move onto the reunions for the next episode. He thinks about flying to Kansas to see Dean, but he knows Dean’s busy with trying to get everything done before the kids are off for the holidays, so he heads back to the fab five loft in Missouri. He texts Dean when he gets in, despite the fact that it’s late and he knows he won’t get an answer until the morning. 

Sure enough, he wakes up to a text from Dean that rather emphatically insists that he come visit, despite how busy Dean is. He laughs as he reads the text, sending back an ‘of course, Dean’ before getting out of bed and going about his day.

Castiel drives over to Lawrence in the afternoon, getting to Dean’s house just as he gets back from work. They hang out for a while before going out to dinner, and Cas ends up staying there that night. 

Dean convinces him--though it admittedly doesn’t take much convincing--to stay until his break is over. He’s got plenty of his things at Dean’s house, and he basically stays there full-time when he’s not filming anyway. Besides, it gives him the opportunity to talk to Sam while Dean’s otherwise occupied. 

He meets Sam for lunch the next day. He’s jittery and his stomach is in knots, like he’s back in high school meeting his first boyfriend’s family. It’s ridiculous, frankly. He knows what Sam’s response will be, but the logical part of his brain is unable to calm him down. He stands when he spots the younger Winchester, smiling when Sam pulls him into a hug. 

“Hey, Cas. Been too long, man. How’s everything going?” He takes his seat across the table, so Cas returns to his own.

“Everything’s going well. We’re nearly done filming the special, and then I’ll be home until the end of March.” 

With a smirk, Sam sits forward and asks, “And by home you mean Dean’s house?” 

Castiel finds himself blushing, which is nothing short of embarrassing. He’s been dating Dean for two years now, and it’s ridiculous that he still gets flustered about calling Dean’s home his own. They’d never officially had the ‘let’s live together’ talk--Castiel had just stayed there for a visit and his things had slowly accumulated in Dean’s house until he realised that most of what he owned was there. It gives him more reason to go back to Dean’s whenever he got the chance, though he doesn’t really need the nudge. 

“Yes, I mean Dean’s house,” he mutters, pulling his glass closer to take a sip.

That earns him a laugh from Sam. “Man, I’m just messing with you. It’s basically your house too, anyway.” After taking a drink himself, Sam leans forward more and crosses his arms on the table in front of him. His expression turns serious. “So why’d you ask to see me? You’re not breaking up with him, are you?”

Castiel narrows his eyes at the accusation. “Of  _ course _ not. Quite the opposite, actually.”

It takes a moment, but eventually realization dawns on Sam’s face. “Oh.  _ Oh! _ Cas, that’s awesome! I’m so happy for you guys!”

Castiel smiles softly. “I haven’t asked yet.”

Sam rolls his eyes. “Man, come on, he’s obviously going to say yes. He’s head over heels for you. When are you going to ask?”

Cas clears his throat, snapping his mouth shut as their waitress walks over. He’d like to keep this as secret as he can until he asks. Once she’s taken their orders and left, Cas leans forward and lowers his voice. “I wanted to ask a couple weeks before Christmas. I’ll be here filming Dean’s part of the reunion episode and I thought that’d be a good time to ask. We’ll be at dinner with almost everyone he cares about.” Sam’s nodding along, but he doesn’t say anything when Cas pauses, so he continues. “Do you think that’s appropriate? It won’t make him uncomfortable?”

Sam snorts. “Oh, it’ll absolutely make him uncomfortable. And he probably won’t ever tell you, but it’ll also make him very,  _ very _ happy.” Castiel gives him a confused look, so Sam sighs and leans back. “I mean, you know Dean’s really family-oriented, for the most part. He’s frustratingly obtuse sometimes, and he’ll hate being the center of attention, but I know he’ll be glad that the most important  _ people _ in his life were there for one of the most important  _ parts _ of his life, y’know?”

Castiel nods, absentmindedly ripping his straw wrapper apart. “You don’t think his discomfort will outweigh his relief?”

Sam shakes his head. “Nah, I really don’t.”

Castiel nods again, satisfied. They spend the rest of the meal discussing Cas’s plan, and whether or not he should get a ring. 

They both agree that he should. 

 

■ ■ ■

 

Cas flies to New York the following night and manages to get some sleep before they head to the first reunion of episode two. He remembers this hero vividly--Carroll Moore of Poughkeepsie, New York. She’s a single mother of three boys who lost her husband in the World Trade Center, only a month after she’d had their third child. She had been struggling to make ends meet and, more often than not, living paycheck to paycheck. Despite that, she and her sons had still found time to give back to their community. They’d been able to entirely redo her house for her and Charlie had been able to help her figure out a financial plan so her boys would be able to go to college. He’d even helped her figure out how to plan cheap and fulfilling meals for herself and three growing boys. He’s eager to see how they’re all doing.

They pull up to Carroll’s house shortly after lunchtime. The outside is beautifully maintained and the glimpse of the inside he gets as Carroll swings the door open gives him an inordinate amount of relief. She invites them all inside, getting them all drinks while the crew sets up in the living room. 

It’s just as beautiful as Cas remembers it. Jo’s damn good at her job. Carroll looks well, and she tells them that her eldest is off at college with a full scholarship. She also brags about the youngest one, who Castiel remembers fondly. He’s pleased to find out that the youngest wants to be a chef, though he’s not surprised. The boy had watched him like a hawk when he was filming the cooking segment of the episode, and he’d even jumped in to help at several points. 

They finish filming within a few hours, so Cas offers to stay and teach the boy a few things. The excitement in his eyes is well worth chatting with Dean a bit later than he’d intended. 

 

■ ■ ■

 

Next is Samuel Stewart in Virginia. At the time of his episode, he was a recent college graduate with a degree in business. He’d had aspirations to start his own company, and it was quite fascinating to watch Charlie get everything she could together to help him do that. He’s flourished since then. His company has taken off and Castiel knows through Charlie that Samuel had actually met a girl shortly after they filmed his episode. They get the chance to meet her and Cas is unreasonably proud of Samuel. His girlfriend is kind, smart, quick-witted, and the way she looks at him isn’t dissimilar to the the expression he often catches on Dean’s face when it’s just the two of them. He wishes them the best before carefully excusing himself from the room and pulling Gabriel aside. 

Gabriel actually looks surprised. To be fair, Castiel  _ is _ rather introverted, and he doesn’t often seek Gabriel out for conversations. “Everything okay, Cas?”

With a quick glance around to ensure no one’s close enough to hear, Cas nods slowly. “I wanted to make sure something was okay with you before I did it.”

He’s met with a frown. “That sounds… ominous.”

Cocking an eyebrow, Cas chuckles. “Coming from me?” 

Gabriel laughs and shrugs. “Hey, they always say it’s the quiet ones you gotta watch out for. What’s up?”

“I want to ask Dean to marry me. I know we’re seeing him for the third episode of reunions and I was hoping to do it at dinner that night, if that’s alright with you. I don’t want to derail your filming.”

“You…” Gabriel pauses, squinting at him and taking a breath. “You think proposing to your boyfriend of two years, who you met  _ on the show _ , would disrupt my filming?”

He knows Gabriel’s criticizing him, but he doesn’t really have an answer, so he just shrugs.

Castiel starles and frowns as Gabriel bursts out laughing. He crosses his arms over his chest, waiting for him to calm down.

“Ah, man. You’re a funny one, Cas.” He wipes at his eyes, though Cas is pretty sure there weren’t any tears there. “Dude, do you know how good that would be for ratings? People are crazy about proposals, and for a couple like you and Dean, who they’re already invested in? It’ll be our most-streamed episode ever, I guarantee it.”

Castiel furrows his eyebrows. “So… you don’t have a problem with it?”

He’s met with Gabriel rolling his eyes. “The opposite, man. Seriously. I’ll film the shit out of it.”

That startles a laugh from Castiel, which earns him a grin from Gabriel. “Good. Okay. I just wanted to make sure.” 

Gabriel nods, clapping him on the shoulder as he passes him. “Congrats, dude. I’m happy for you guys.”

 

■ ■ ■

 

Peter Moss is next. His case hadn’t been extraordinary, so Castiel wasn’t overly excited to see how he is now. He hadn’t taken to cooking at all, so most of Castiel’s segment had been rendered useless. Regardless, they have a good afternoon with him, and they get back to the hotel early. Benny and Jo try to convince Castiel to get drinks with them, but he declines. He’s dying to talk to Dean, and he should really start looking for a ring…

Dean’s an hour behind, meaning he’s currently still at work. Instead of moping around his hotel room, he grabs a jacket and heads out ring shopping. 

Of course Charlie intercepts him in the lobby. She barely looks at him before she narrows her eyes and asks where he’s going. Castiel doesn’t have an answer prepared, so he stutters out that he’s going to get dinner. 

She doesn’t believe him. He can’t say he blames her, it wasn’t a convincing lie. 

“I’m looking for a ring for Dean.”

With a gasp, she grabs onto Cas’s arm. “No  _ way! _ Oh my gosh, Cas, congrats!”

“He hasn’t said yes yet,” he responds with a chuckle.

Charlie snorts. “Dude, I’ve seen how he looks at you, he’s  _ totally _ gonna say yes. You guys are like… couple goals.”

With a shake of his head, he holds out a hand to her.  “Would you like to come with me?”

She practically squeals, grinning at him. “ _ Hell _ yes! Let’s go!” She grabs his hand, pulling him outside. Castiel laughs softly and allows her to lead them to the car, climbing in the passenger’s seat. “Where to?”

Castiel frowns. He hadn’t exactly figured that out… He pulls his phone out, looking up a list of nearby jewelry stores. The list is long and there’s several nearby, so he picks the one at the top of the list and directs her to it.

It’s only a three minute drive from the hotel, but Castiel spends the whole time bouncing his foot nervously. There’s plenty of parking spots and hardly anyone inside, which should make this much easier. He hadn’t even thought of someone catching him ring shopping, that would ruin the surprise entirely. 

There’s two other people in the store, besides Cas and Charlie. Neither seem to recognize them, so they head to the long glass counter at the back of the room.

“There’s so many,” Charlie mumbles, glancing down the length of the counter. Castiel silently agrees, a bit overwhelmed. “Do you know what you’re looking for?” 

“I… don’t really know. Something simple, I think. Similar to a wedding band? Dean would prefer simple... maybe just an inscription on the inside?” 

Charlie listens as he speaks, tapping her fingers on the glass lightly. “Maybe the other end of the counter, then? I think these are mostly the single-diamond kind of ring.” 

Castiel motions for her to lead the way, following her to the other end. Sure enough, there are simple rings scattered throughout the paired wedding bands. A few catch his eye, but he stops short when he sees one at the very end of the counter. 

“Find something you like?” A voice pipes up behind them, startling both Charlie and Castiel. The jeweler smiles at them. “Apologies, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Castiel shakes his head, clearing his throat quietly. “It’s alright. I did, actually. What’s this one?”

The jeweler steps behind the counter, smiling and pulling out the ring Cas points to. “Good choice. It’s a titanium ring with a sapphire inlay.” He glances between Cas and Charlie, his gaze settling on the latter. “I can measure you and see if we have your size in the back, if you’d like.”

Charlie laughs nervously. “Oh, no, we’re not--” She turns her gaze to Cas, slightly panicked.

“She’s not who I’m asking,” Cas finishes, his cheeks tinting pink. They’re in a rather rural part of Georgia--probably not the safest place to announce he’s planning to ask his boyfriend to marry him. “I have the ring size though.” 

“My apologies. If you want to give me the size, I can check,” The jeweler says, raising an expectant eyebrow in Cas’s direction. 

“A size nine.”

“Sure, we should have that. Let me go check.” He replaces the ring in the locked counter, heading into the back.

“Are you going to engrave it?” Charlie asks, leaning against the counter. 

Castiel shrugs. “I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll leave that for the wedding rings.”

Charlie grins at him, and it dawns on Castiel what he’s just said. “See, even  _ you _ know he’s gonna say yes.”

The jeweler returns with a ring box before Castiel has a chance to reply. “Last one in that size, it was meant to be.” He slides the box across the counter to Castiel, who takes it with shaking hands. He flips the lid open, marvelling at the ring inside. It’s perfect. He can already picture Dean wearing it, and the thought makes him slightly giddy. 

Once he’s paid, he and Charlie head out to dinner. The box feels like a weight in his pocket, but a good one. It means he’s one step closer to asking Dean to marry him.

 

■ ■ ■

 

The rest of their visits don’t go quickly enough for Castiel. Now that he’s got the ring and the okay from both Sam and Gabriel, he can hardly contain himself. It takes everything he has to keep from blurting it out to Dean on Facetime. 

After four more visits, they finally get to Dean’s portion of the episode two weeks later. He flies in two days before everyone else and stays with Sam to ensure that Dean remains unsuspicious. He uses the time to get everything prepared.

For Dean’s part of the reunion, they’d decided on dinner at Ellen’s restaurant with the cast, Sam, and his girlfriend Eileen. Unbeknownst to Dean, his uncle, Bobby, has agreed to come, as well as a couple friends from the youth center. He’s sure Dean will know something’s up when he sees them there, but he can’t worry about that now. 

He finally lets himself go stay with Dean when the rest of the cast flies in. It’s nice to be home after a few weeks, but he’s slightly paranoid Dean will find the ring and ruin the surprise. Castiel resorts to carrying it around with him at all times. 

They’re finally collected that night by the crew, who shuttle them to the restaurant. It’s a nice evening out; not too cold for winter, and the stores are gorgeously decorated for the holidays. It’s the perfect time for this.

Once everyone is settled in their seats, Claire and Kevin make sure each person has a mic on before retreating behind the cameras with Gabriel. They both give Castiel a surreptitious thumbs-up, and he shakes his head at them fondly.

Bobby and Dean’s friends from the youth center, Aaron and Gilda, are the last to arrive. Dean shoots a questioning look in Castiel’s direction when he spots them. Castiel had invited them personally, without Dean’s knowledge, but of course he can’t tell him the reason for it. Instead, he squeezes Dean’s knee reassuringly, which will have to suffice as an answer for now. Gabriel motions for everyone to quiet down, peeking at the screen before nodding at Charlie. She smiles and turns to the camera. 

“Tonight is the final reunion we’ll be filming. He’s a fan-favorite and certainly a Fab Five favorite, especially for one of us.” She seeks out Cas’s gaze, smirking and winking at him. “He’s one of the only heroes all of us keep in touch with on a nearly daily basis, and one of the ones I’m personally most proud of.”

Dean’s cheeks tint pink and he ducks his head, undoubtedly to hide his blush from the camera focused on him.

“For those of you who don’t remember, the hero we’re talking about is Dean Winchester, currently dating our very own Castiel Novak. He’s a kindergarten teacher in Lawrence, Kansas and he helps to run an LGBT-inclusive youth center. Since we last visited him on the show, he’s expanded the youth center and hired three more full-time staff there, including two psychiatrists, all because of your donations.”

The table gives a round of applause at that, which only makes Dean’s cheeks more pink. He does sit up straighter though; Castiel can tell he’s proud of himself. Gabriel calls ‘cut’ and the table starts to chat quietly, everyone breaking off into their own conversations. He’s sat between Dean and Charlie, so he has to lean considerably far from Dean to keep him out of earshot when Charlie nudges him.

“So?” Charlie asks with a grin. “How’re ya feeling?”

Castiel sighs quietly, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. “Truthfully? This is the most nervous I’ve ever been.”

“You’ll be fine.” Charlie smiles reassuringly, squeezing his arm. “He’s definitely gonna say yes.” 

Castiel nods absentmindedly, turning back to Dean. He’s deep in conversation with Benny, so he takes a moment to simply admire his boyfriend. Dean’s beautiful. He’s intelligent, witty, charming, and he’s everything Castiel never thought he’d have. 

He can’t wait anymore. 

He’s been bursting at the seams ever since he bought the ring, and he’s itching with the anticipation. It was supposed to wait until they’d eaten, but he can’t. He can’t wait one more minute.

Abruptly, he pushes his chair back and stands. The table quickly falls silent, until everyone’s eyes are on him. It’s… disconcerting. Dean’s frowning at him, reaching for his hand. Castiel takes it for a moment, giving it a reassuring squeeze before clearing his throat. “Thank you all for coming, especially those of you who were invited personally by me. Dean cares greatly for you and I know he’d want you here for this.”

Charlie’s practically bouncing in her seat beside him, and Dean’s face is growing more and more worried by the second. 

“I met Dean over two years ago now, on this very show. Before I’d even met him, I admired him, especially for his charity work. Knowing him, I admire him even more. He gives so much to everyone around him and is so endlessly loving. I aspire to be as kind and empathetic as Dean is.” He pauses to take a steadying breath.

“Where’re you goin’ with this, Cas?” Dean asks quietly, his eyes darting to the cameras around the room. 

Several people around the table roll their eyes, but he pays them no mind. Dean’s the only thing he could possibly pay any attention to right now. Slowly and deliberately, he sinks down onto one knee.  “I just want you to know that I admire you, I adore you, and I would be honored if you’d agree to marry me.”

The room is completely silent as they await Dean’s answer. Castiel’s pretty sure he stops breathing until Dean finally speaks. 

“Marry you? You’re… really asking me that?”

Castiel frowns and he can see the people around them tilting their heads in confusion. 

Dean glances around, his nose scrunching up. “Wait, no, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant… I mean, do you even--” He cuts himself off, rubbing the back of his neck, a nervous tick Castiel is well acquainted with. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting this and this is way more attention than I’m used to.”

Castiel smiles softly, holding his hand out and squeezing gently when Dean laces their fingers. 

“What I meant was, do you even have to ask?” Dean beams, and it’s like the sun has come out. “Of course I’ll marry you, Cas.” 

Their table erupts into cheers, and even the crew applauds. Castiel, however, still only has eyes for Dean. He slips the ring box out of his pocket, grinning at the look of surprise on Dean’s face. He pops the lid open, holding it up so Dean can see. 

“Cas… it’s gorgeous.” Dean grins in return, squeezing Cas’s hand before letting go so Cas can slip the ring on. 

It’s a perfect fit. 

Dean’s practically glowing, and he looks  _ so _ good with that ring on his finger, just like Cas thought he would. Dean leans forward and pulls him into a kiss, which Castiel happily returns. It’s all excitement--a bit messy, all smiles and definitely not one of their best kisses--but Castiel can’t find it in himself to be disappointed. 

The cameras turn off shortly after that, but they stay at Ellen’s until well after she closes the restaurant, celebrating. 

**Author's Note:**

> [rebloggable link here](https://fangirlingtodeath513.tumblr.com/post/177744990909/reunions-part-three-of-the-queer-eye-verse)
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> You can find me on Tumblr [here(:](https://fangirlingtodeath513.tumblr.com/)
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> **Please don’t post my works anywhere without my express written permission.**


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